Type-writing machine.



WIP. HELMOND.

TYPE WRITING MAGBINE.

APPLIOATION l-IL'ED SEPT. 22, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

W. F. HELMOND. TYPE WRITING MACHINE. APPLICATION IILED SEPT. 22, 1910.

Patented Apr. 15, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

pear upon reference to the snares Parana oierioa.

WILLIAM F. HELMGND, 0F HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIG-NOB TO UNDERWOODvIYIIEYWHITFAR COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. "SR, A CORPORATION OF DELAW'ARE.

TYPE-WRITING MAQHINE.

lype-w'riting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to typewritino' machines of the class inwhich the ribbon carrier is vibrated at each stroke of the type keys tocause the ribbon to cover and. uncover the printing point.

More particularly the invention relates to means whereby the ribboncarrier may be set for different degrees of movement, so

that any desired one of a number of parallel color fields of ribbon maybe presented to the printing point when the type keys are operated.

The invention is also especially adapted for use in those machines inwhich the platen'is shifted between an upper and a. lower type caseposition, and to this end the connections between the carrier-actuatingmechanism and the platen-shitting frame are such that the pro 'icrrelation of the same is maintained in whicl'iever type case position theplaten may he.

The ob ect n? the present invention is to provide a inechanisn'i,adapted to the above purposes, which is simple and of few parts and inwhich the action is positive through out.

One feature of the invention is an improved arrangement of the universalbar for operating the ribbon, below the type l :-.y.levers so that thebar may be struck and directly actuated hy the hey-carrying arms ofthese levers.

Another feature of the invention is a conneetion between the universalbar and the rihhon-actuating lever, which permits of ready setting-andresetting of the ribbon actuator. to accord to the ditlcrent colorfields, and which is nevertheless simple and certain in action.

Othcrteatures of the invention will apdrawings in which:

Figure l is a view through the machine, from front to rear, showing inside elevation the mechanism relating; to the present invention. Fig. 2is a view in perspective taken from the front of the machine show-Specification of Letters latent. Application filed September 22, 1918.

accompanying Patented Apr. 15, 1913. Serial No. 583,28?

ing the parts for setting and operating the ribbon carrier. .Fig. 3 is aview in side ele-' vation of the parts shown in Fig. 2, in conjunctionWith the piaten and type bar, when the ribbon carrier is set for theupper color field. of the ribbon. Fig. is a View similar to Fig. 3except that the ribbon carrier is set for the lower color field of theribbon. Fig. 5 is a view in front elevation of ribbon carrier-settingmechanism in one position. Fig. 6 is a View similarto Fig. 3 except thatthe platen-shifting traine is in upper type case position.

On the mainframe 1 of the machine is the carriage frame, supporting; theplaten 3 and other parts (not shown), in a manner common to theUnderwood machine. The platen frame 4 is shiftable up and down in themain frame between upper and lower type case positions. In the ribboncarrier 5 7 is threaded a polychrmnatic ribbon, having e lor fields (3and 7. The carrier 5 is adapted to be moved up and down on the guide 5At its lower end it is pivotally connected to a hell crank lever 8,having arms 9 and i0, and pivoted at 11 to a rearwardly ex tending earor lug 12 on a slide or bar 13. The slide 13 has a slot 1 engaging" aheaded screw 15 on 'a rail or bar 16 forming part of the frame 43 whichshifts the platen frame 4. A slotted ear 18 on the otherend oi. the bar13 is a second point of attachment of the bar to the frame i3, similarto the first. The slot and screw connections of slide 13 and'frame causethe slide to be moved up and down With the rail 16, but permit oi"-movement of the slide with the ribbon 'arrier,-longitudinally of therail.

in the arm-10 of the bell crank lever 8 are two slots 1.? and i8 res)ectivelv. one

i l i below the their. Fast to a rock shaft l9 pivoted in the main frameof the machine, an actuator in the form of an arm or lever 9.0 whichterminates in a fork comprising two arms. 21 and 22, bet-ween which the00 arm 10 of the lever 8 depends. The arm 21 is ot" greater length. thanthe arm 22 and carries near its upper end a pin 23 which lies oppositeto and is adapted, when the slide 12'} is shifted longitudinally withthe lever 8 to [he left, to enter the slot 17. The arm 22 carries nearits upper end a pin 24 which lies opposite and is adapted to enter theslot 18 when the hell crank lever 8 is shifted by the bar or slide l3 tothe right. l

Iii.

' by each of the type key levers 28 when any of the latter are operated.The universal bar 27 carries a strip of leather or other material .29for cushioning the blow of the type key levers. carries a stop 51 whichengages with the frame 1 to limit the movement of the parts carried bythe shaft. A' spring 30 on the rock shaft 19 serves to return theuniversal bar with the lever arm'20 to normal position when the type keyis released. Springs '28? return the key levers 28 to normal position.As usual in the Underwood machine,-the.levers 28 through sub-levers 42swing the type bars 40 against the front'of the platen 3; said type barshaving heels 40 to operate the usual universal bar 40 for operating theusual letter-feeding devices (not shown).

From the foregoing, it will appear that whenever either of the pins 23or 24 is within its respective slot 17 or 18, by reason of thelongitudinal position of the slide 13, the arm 8 will rock with the arm20, to lift the ribbon carrier, upon operation of a type key. Since,however, the slot 17 is nearer the pivot 11 of the lever 8 than the slot18, the

motion of the lever 8 is greater when it is .engaged by the pin 23 thanwhen it is engaged by the pin 24. The movement of the lever 8 effectedthrough the pin 23 is the proper movement to bring the lower color field7 to 'the printing point; and the movement of the lever 8 as effectedthrough the pin 24 is the movement for bringing the upper color field 6to the printing point.

.The slide 13 at its end 30 is slotted at 31 to receive the nose 32 of-alever arm fast to a rock shaft 34, which latter is pivotally mounted inthe main frame of the machine.

On the forward end of the shaft 34 is a cross bar 35 carrying on one enda key 36,

and on the other end a key 37. Upon depression of the key 36, the arm 34is rocked counter-clockwise, looking from the front, and throws the baror slide 13 to the left so as to connect the carrier lever arm 10 to thelever 20 through the pin 23. \Vhen the key 37 is depressed, the movementof the shaft is such as to bring the lever 8 into engagement with thelever 20 through the pin 24. lfor the purpose of holding the rock shaft34" in either of its set positions, there is fast to the rock shaft aspring. member 38 adapted to be engaged on one side or the other,according to the position of the shaft, by a detent member 39 carried onthe frame of the machine.

The type bars, one of which is shown at 40 in Fig. 1, are pivoted at 41,and are connected by sub or bell eranklevers 42, pivoted at 42, to thekey levers 28, so that when An arm 50 fast to the shaft 19- a key leveris depressed, the corresponding type bar will be brought to the platen,as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. In Figs. 3 and 4, the type bar is shown,with' its lower case type at the printing point. When the upper casetype is to be brought to the printing point, the shift key is operatedto lift the platen. The shift key lever is like the type key levers,except that no lever 42 is connected to it, and it has an arm 46 whichis not found on the type key levers. The platen is lifted in awell knownmanner by movement of the shift frame 43 around pivot 44. The frame 43has a depending member 45 engaged by the arm 46 of the shift key leverso that when the latter is de-. pressed, the frame 43 is moved on itspivot. The frame member or rail 16 carrying the sliding bar 13 is, asheretofore stated, secured to the frame member 43, and therefore, hasupward movement with the latter when the shift key' is operated. Theupward movement of the bar or rail 16 is transmitted to the platen 3through roller 47 and the bars-48 in the platen frame which carry theroller. lVhen, therefore, the shift key is operated, the ribbon carrierand platen are simultaneously lifted. This movement of the ribboncarrier is necessary in order that the ribbon may be brought to theprinting point when the type keys are operated for upper case type.

The rock shaft 19 (see Fig. 2) is mounted in the main frame of themachine and has no upward movement upon operation of the shift key; andtherefore, the slots 17 and 18 in the carrier lever arm 10 must be ofsuflicient length to permit of the shift upward of the lever 8 withoutinterference by the pins 23 and 24. The slots are shown as of lengthsufficient for this purpose. As the movement of the lever. 20 is thesame, whether the platen is in upper or lower case position, and as thelifting of the pivot 11 of the lever 8 lengthens theeffective arm 10,the movement of the'arm 10 by the lever 20 is less in upper case than inlower case position. Consequently when the platen is shifted up, thelever arm 9 must have a normal position slightly nearer the platen thanits normal lower case position if the ribbon is to be brought to theprinting'point by the lever 20. To this end the slots 17 and 18 areinclined at their lower ends slightly rearwardly, so that with the pinin the slot, the carrier lever arm 9 is held at a slightly higher anglein upper case than in lower case position. Another reason for holdingthe arm 9 at a higher angle when the platen is in upper case position,is that the rail 16, on which the lever B is carried, is nearer thepivot 44 of member 43 than is the platen, so that the platen gets agreater shift than the pivot 11 of lever 8. To compensate for thisdifference in shift,

the arm 9 should be held nearer the platen in upper case position thanin lower case position. The ribbon-setting shaft 34 is also in the mainframe and has no upward movement. The slot 31 in the slide 13, however,permits of up and down movement of the slide with the shift frameWithout disturbance of the connection of the slide to the shaft 34.-

The structure above described is capable of various modifications Withinthe scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a platen, a ribboncarrier, mecha nism operated from the type keys for actuating thecarrier to bring the ribbon to the printing point at each operation of atype key, said carrier actuating mechanism comprising key levers pivotedon the frame of the machine, a universal bar acted, upon by said keylevers, two parallel arms spaced one from the other and connected to theuniversal bar, alever connected to the ribbon carrier for actuating thelatter, said carrier-actuating lever lying between said parallel arms,and means for ettecting' a relative shifting movement between said.lever and said arms, to bring said actuating lever into operativeengagement with either of said parallel arms at unequal distances.

from the pivot of lever.

*2. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a platen, a ribboncarrier, type keys, :1 universal bar acted upon by'said keys, an elementcomprising two parallel arms spaced said carrier i actuating one fromthe other, another element courprising a lever, one of said elements connected to the universal bar and the other connected to the ribboncarrier for actuating, the latter, said lever element lying, betweensaid parallel arms, and means for effecting a shift to bring saidactuating: lever into operative engagement with either of said parallelarms at unequal distances from the pivotot the lever element.

2). in a typewriting n'iachine, the combination of a ,platem'a ribboncarrier, and mechanism operated froin the type keys for actuating thecarrier to bring the ribbon to the printing point at each operation of atype key, said carrier actuating mechanism comprising hey levers pivotedon the tramc ot' the machine, a universal bar acted upon by said keylevers, two parallel arms spaced one from the other and connected to theuniversal bar, a lever conno .-ied to the ribbon carrier tor actuatingthe latter, said carrienactualingr lever lying between said parallelarms, and means for shitting said actuating lever into pin and slotengage ment with either otsaid parallel arms at unequal -(listaiiresfrom the point of attachment of said versal bar.

4. In a typeWrit-ing machine, the combination of a platen, aribboncarrier, and mechanism operated from the type keys for actuatingthe carrier to bring the ribbon to the printing point at each operationof atype key, said carrier actuating mechanism comprising a universalbar, two parallel arms spaced one from the other, a lever, said arms andlever operated by the uniparallel arms to the universal bar andconnected to the ribbon cartype key, said carrier-actuating mechanismcomprising key levers pivoted on the frame of themachine, a universalbar acted upon by said key levers, two parallel arms spaced one from theother and connected to the universalbar, a lever connected to the ribboncarrier for actuating the latter, said carrieraetuating lever lyingbetween said parallel arms, a pin car ied' by each of said arms atdifferent distances from the pivot of said carrier-actuating lever, twoslots in said actuatinglever at ditterent distances from the pivotthereof and each lying opposite one of the pins on the parallel arms,and-means for shifting said actuating lever into pin and slot engagementwith either of said parallel ,arms.

6. a typewriting machine, the platen, a ribbon carrier, and meansoperated from the type keys for actuatingthe carrier to bring the ribbonto the printing point at each operation of a type key, means for givingthe carrier a plurality of settings With respect. to its operatingmechanism whereby 7 the carrier may be moved different d1stances' tobring ditlerent ribbon color fields to the printing point, and a framefor shifting the platen between upper and lower case positions; saidribbon carrier setting and actuating mechanism comprising type keylevers, a universal bar operated by the key levers, two arms spacedapart and connected to the universal bar, a ribbon carrier actu- .ntin;lever carried by the platen shifting frame and lying between said arms,a pin on each arm at dillerent distances from the pivot otsaid actuatinglever, said lever having two slots, one to be engaged by'each of saidpins, and each slot being of a. length sulliriont to permit of theengagement thereof with its respective pin in both type case positionsof the platen shifting frame, and

i and slot engagement with either of said arms.

7. In a typewriting machine, the platen,

, a ribbon carrier, and means operated from the type keys for actuatingthe carrier to bring the ribbon to the printing point at the carrier maybe moved different distances to bring different ribbon color fields tothe rintin oint said carrier settin and actuating mechanism comprising auniversal bar pivotally mounted in the frame of the machine, means foroperating said bar from the type keys, arms fast to said bar, a' pincarried by each arm, said pins bein at different distances from thepoint of attachment of said arms to the universal bar, a lever attachedto the ribbon carrier for actuating the same, said carrier actuatinglever lying between said arms and being slotted to engage either of saidpins, andmeans for shifting said carrier lever into pin and slotengagement with either of said'arms. 8. In a typewriting machine, thecombination of a platen, a ribbon carrier, and

mechanism operated from the type keys for. actuating the carrier tobring the ribbon to the printing point at each operation of a type key,said carrier actuating mechanism comprising key levers pivoted on theframe of the machine, a universal bar acted upon by said key levers, twoparallel arms spaced one from the other and connected to the universalbar, a'lever connected to the ribbon carrier for actuating the latter,said carrier-actuating lever lying between said parallel arms, and meansfor shifting said actuating leverinto operative engagement with eitherof said arms at points unequally distant from the pivot of said lever.

9. In a typewriting machine, the combination with key-operated types,and a carriage-feeding universal bar operated only during the lastportion of each type stroke, of a ribbon-vibrating mechanism including asecond universal bar operable by the keys, a ribbon vibrator connectedto said second universal bar to operate during substantially the entirestroke of each key, a platen-shitting mechanism, and a loose connectionbetween said vibrator and the second universal bar, topermit shiftingofthe ribbon vibrator jthe entire stroke of each key, a platen-shiftingmechanlsm, a loose connection between said vlbrator and the seconduniversal bar to permit shifting of the ribbon vibrator with the platen,and means for varying the connection between the second universal barand the vibrator, to regulate the throw of the latter.

11. In a typewriting machine, the combination with key-controlled types,a latenjshifting mechanism, and a carriageeeding universal baroperatedonly during the last portion of each type stroke, of a ribbon-viratingmechanism including a ribbon vibrator, a second universal bar operableby the keys and operating during substantially the entire stro e of eachkey, an arm connected to said second universal bar, and aribbon-vibrating lever having an arm extending to the first mentionedarm and loosely connectedthereto to ermit shifting of the ribbonvibrator with t e platen.

12. In a typewriting machine, the combination with key-controlled types,a Jlatenshifting mechanism, and a carriageceding universal bar operatedonly during the last portion of each type stroke, of a ribbon vibrating'mechanism including a ribbon vibrator, a second universalbar operable bythe keys and operating during substantially the entire stroke of eachkey, an actuator connected to said second universal bar, a ribing tosaid actuator and loosely connected theretoto permit shifting of theribbon vibrator with the platen, and means for varying the point ofconnection between said actuator and said arm to regulate'the throw ofthe vibrator.

13. In a typewriting machine, the combination with key-controlled types,a platenshifting mechanism, and a carriage-feeding universal baroperated only during the last portion of each type stroke, of a ribbonvibrating mechanism including a ribbon vi brator, avsecond universal bar0 erablc by the keys and operating during su stantially the entirestroke of each key, an actuator element connected to said seconduniversal bar, a ribbon-vibrating lever having an arm element extendingto said actuator element and loosely connected thereto to permitshifting of the ribbon vibrator with the platen, and means for varyingthe point of connection between said actuator and arm elements toregulate the throw of the vibrator, one of said elements having slots,and the other having wrists'or pins to engage said slots; means beingprovided to silence either pin at will.

14. In a typewriting machine, the combination with key-controlled types,a platenshifting mechanism, and a carriage feeding" universal bar'operated only during the last portion of each type stroke, of a ribbonvibon-vibrating lever having an arm extend orating mechanism including aribbon vibrator, a second universal bar operable by the keys andoperating during substantially the entire stroke of each key, anactuatorv ele-,

' ment connected to said second universal bar,

a ribbon-vibrating lever having an arm element extending to saidactuator element and loosely connected thereto to permit shifting of theribbon vibrator With-the platen, and

means for varying the point of connection between said actuator and armelementsvto regulate the throw of the vibrator, one of said elementshaving slots, and the other having wrists orpins to engage said slots;

means being provided to silence either pin at will by means of a lateralmovement of one of said arms.

15. In a typewriting machine, the combination with key-c'ontrolledtypes,.a platensh-ifting mechanism, and'a carriage-feeding universal baroperated only during the last portion of each type stroke, of a ribbonvibrating mechanism including a ribbon vibrator, a second universal baroperable by 'fthe keys and operating during substantially the entirestroke of each key, an. actuator element connected to said seconduniversal bar, a ribbon-Vibrating lever having an arm.

element extending to said actuator element and loosely connectedtheretov to permit shifting of the ribbon vibrator with the platen, andmeans for varying thepoint of connection between said' actuator and armelements to regulate the throw of the vibrator, one of said elementshaving slots, and the other having wrists or pins to engage said slots;means being provided to silence either pin at will; said platen shiftingmechanism including a vibrating frame whereon '.said,,ribbon-vibratinglever'is pivoted, and

- FRANK A. Coo

ration of said platen shi ing

